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"Murderous cowards" is the label a police representative used to describing killers who allegedly gunned down two young officers execution-style and a neighbour, in Queensland.
Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers told Checkpoint the incident that unfolded on a remote rural property was tragic and had shocked Australia.
Rachel McCrow, 19, and Matthew Arnold, 26, were following up on a missing persons report when three shooters - two men and a woman, dressed in camouflage opened fire.
Queensland police say Constable Rachel McCrow, 29, and Constable Matthew Arnold, 26, were killed in a seige at a remote rural property. Photo: Supplied/ Queensland Police
It happened yesterday afternoon in the tiny town of Wieambilla, population about 100; about 300km from Brisbane.
Two other police officers managed to escape to hole up under fire - one with bullet wounds - until a team of armed officers arrived and swarmed the scene to rescue them.
The three alleged shooters were killed during the police operation. Two have been named as brothers Nathaniel Train and Gareth (Gavin) Train, while the woman has not yet been named.
Leavers said the first four officers to arrive at the property did not have any indication of the danger awaiting them, and they were ambushed.
"It's been too much to bear in many ways" - Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers
"It was routine business as usual call for service in relation to making an inquiry for a missing person," he said.
"Police have gone over the fence, and as soon as that has happened the murderous cowards - the trio of them - have immediately started firing rounds at the police.
"The two police were hit, they dropped to the ground, and their two colleagues who were coming in behind them managed to retreat and seek cover ... and these two murderous cowards - which is what I'll call them - have then gone up and executed the two police who were lying on the ground.
"This is something that has never happened in Queensland, and the shock to people in the local community and the ripple effect it's had across the state of Queensland and Australia, ... it's been too much to bear in many ways."
Leavers said there had been an outpouring of support for police.
"After the police were executed, one of the female police who retreated, she hid in some long grass, and these cowards have then lit the grass to try and flush her out.
"She thought that if she stood up she would be shot dead, or she would be burnt alive. Fortunately that didn't occur, and the male constable who had also retreated, he'd gone back, he'd been shot, he got into the police vehicle and the vehicle was shot at.
The two remaining officers survived after being rescued in the police operation, and spent the night in hospital, where the policeman still remains, Leavers said.
He praised the actions of both the surviving officers, and said even with flames approaching her the policewoman had called for help and relayed the events and their location as well as details about the scene.
"She displayed incredible bravery in doing what she did, communicating with her colleagues.
"She contacted her mother, she thought that her life was coming to an end, and she'd accepted that.
"She's only got nine weeks ... police service, and the bravery that she displayed and her colleague as well, is absolutely incredible."
Leavers said a local sergeant was able to get a team of about 16 police together, who arrived at the property heavily armed, and mounted a rescue for the four officers.
They "pulled their colleagues [from the ground] away to a place of safety, but sadly two had passed away," he said.
"Just as tragic is the neighbour, he was shot in the back, he didn't even see it coming".
There were now questions about whether the trio of shooters knew police were coming, and if so, how, and whether there were any warning signs that officers were heading into a dangerous situation.
"The people shooting at the officers were dressed in camo and armed "with an assortment of weapons, a lot of ammo", he said.
"And they continued to fire well into the night - [at] our special operations police - they continued firing relentlessly through the night.
"Clearly there was a plan in place, but our police had no information or intelligence to suggest there was a risk, and really they were sitting ducks...
"Really it's a tragedy, and these sorts of things shouldn't happen."
He said police negotiators tried unsuccessfully to negotiate with the three shooters during the night.
An investigation into the events would be now carried out by Queensland Police, as well as an investigation by the coroner.
Knowing more about what happened was important for the family of those who died, as well as for other police officers, many of who had been left feeling it could have just as easily been them, Leavers said.
"This is just bizarre, this is not normal, these execution-style killings don't happen in Queensland."